A car accident in upstate New York strands Nero Wolfe, America’s largest
detective, and Archie Goodwin, his confidential assistant, in the midst
of a family feud. The feud, over $45,000 worth of prize bull, turns
ugly when the beef in question is found pawing the mangled body of a
family scion. Solving the mystery is no problem—but, alas, the
evidence keeps disappearing.

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Listener Opinions

rac sassle | 4/19/2017

" Some Buried Cesar is my favorite Nero Wolfe story so far. Wolfe is on his way to display orchids at a fair when his car has an accident in the country. A run-in with a prize bull leads to a murder case for him, and an unwanted, but persistent, admirer for Archie. Really entertaining. "

" Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin are truly great characters but I found this a little talky. And Stout must have been paid by the word back then; lots of repetition. "

Eddy Allen | 1/13/2014

" A prize bull, a restaurateur's tacky publicity stunt, a family feud (among the bull's owners), and the death of a family scion pit Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin against a special breed of killer. "

Colleen | 1/6/2014

" Any mystery buff 'worth their salt' has read the Rex Stout, Nero Wolfe series!! These are wonderful, quick reads - I read one a day until I had gone through the whole series. Wolfe is not the reason I read them though...I have a mad crush on Archie Goodwin ;-) "

Andy | 12/21/2013

" I'm swimming upstream on this one, since most fans consider it one of Wolfe's best adventures and I don't. It just feels a bit contrived. Or maybe I just prefer Wolfe to stay in the old brownstone... "

Rozonda | 9/2/2013

" Probably the best Nero Wolfe mystery, because it has all of the author's qualities (irony, realism, wit) and very few of his vices (more of the time than his: conventional views on women and social classes) "

Mary | 7/29/2013

" Not what I would have chosen as a OBOC title... Archie is fun. "

Dianne G Sagan | 6/23/2013

" This is one of my favorites! "

Mary G. | 5/10/2013

" This was read for the Indianapolis Bouchercon. As much as understand this book is a classic, I did not enjoy it. Stout was a good writer, however, my taste is more towards the British golden age writers. I doubt, it I would ever read another Nero Wolf book. "

Colin | 2/11/2013

" The best of all the Nero Wolfe novels, introducing the incomparable Lily Rowan. "

Elizabeth | 12/27/2012

" Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe is always fun to read. Nothing really surprises me and I rarely feel connected to characters as real people. However the stories are fun and always satisfactory in regard to the solution. I enjoy Archie's wit and find Nero's eccentric behavior comical as well. Good read! "

Niffer | 12/9/2012

" Decent but not my favorite. "

Eric Hines | 9/26/2012

" Nero Wolfe on a horse farm in the Hudson Valley. Definitely one of the best in the series. "

Palmreader | 5/15/2012

" Read all these too. Loved them. Loved the tv series as well. Maury Chaykin was perfect as Wolfe "

" Archie crashes Wolfe's car, leading to an encounter with a $45,000 bull and, of course, a murder. Some great snark and the first appearance of Lily Rowan make this worth a read, but other Wolfe stories are more engaging. "

Mary Helene | 1/30/2012

" Lily's first appearance! and the writing rich. I've read that the trick is have a character whom one believes capable of murder. Check. "

Sam | 10/9/2011

" This is probably in my top 5 Nero Wolfe books since it's where we first meet Lily. The image of Nero standing on the rock in the middle of the field is burned in my brain forever. "

Barbara | 7/21/2011

" Nero Wolfe. Book also has The Gold Spiders "

Jennifer | 6/9/2011

" These are fun mysteries. Great summer reading. I'd give this one 3 1/2 if it let me. "

E | 5/21/2011

" Nero Wolfe out of New York. Nero Wolfe racing to climb a hay bale to avoid bulls in a pasture. Nero Wolfe stepping around cow paddies at the state fair. What's not to like? "

" Probably the best Nero Wolfe mystery, because it has all of the author's qualities (irony, realism, wit) and very few of his vices (more of the time than his: conventional views on women and social classes)
"

Nina | 7/6/2010

" Such a fun 1940s mystery series - Archie and Nero Wolfe are great characters.
"

Mary | 6/10/2010

" This was read for the Indianapolis Bouchercon. As much as understand this book is a classic, I did not enjoy it. Stout was a good writer, however, my taste is more towards the British golden age writers. I doubt, it I would ever read another Nero Wolf book.
"

Vicki | 5/23/2010

" This is the second one in a row with Wolfe away from home. I'm starting to miss Wolfe's New York brownstone. This book was a little less satisfactory than the others I've recently read. Maybe I'm just getting tired of Wolfe and Archie. Hope not.
"

Slarson6 | 4/29/2010

" Nero Wolfe is out of his home and in upstate New York, on a FARM! Another twisted mystery, that you know you should have known the answer. Good Read!
"

Dave | 4/1/2010

" For me Wolfe is entirely entertaining as a character. Goodwin I find a bit annoying in too large a dose.

The mystery is perfect, however - one that you can't quite figure out but realize you should have when all is revealed.

"

Peggy | 12/18/2009

" The Indianapolis One Book, One City. This was a good who-done-it book and fun to read.
"

Travis | 11/26/2009

" One of my favorites of the Nero Wolfe books, as Wolfe is dragged away from his comfy home to discover who murdered a prize bull.
Plus, the first book where we meet the lovely Lilly Rowan, who goes on to become a regular in the series.
"

Other Titles by Rex Stout:

About the Author

Rex Stout (1886–1975), inimitable master of detective fiction, wrote seventy-three mysteries and numerous novels and short stories. He is best known as the creator of the fictional detective Nero Wolfe. He was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America and received the Crime Writers Association’s Silver Dagger Award.

About the Narrator

Michael Prichard is a Los Angeles-based actor who has played several thousand characters during his career, over one hundred of them in theater and film. He is primarily heard as an audiobook narrator, having recorded well over five hundred full-length books. His numerous awards and accolades include an Audie Award for Tears in the Darkness by Michael Norman and Elizabeth M. Norman and six AudioFile Earphones Awards. He was named a Top Ten Golden Voice by SmartMoney magazine. He holds an MFA in theater from the University of Southern California.

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